FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS OF INDIANA. 795 



P. Virqiniana L. Choke Cherry. 



Not abundant, but reported from many counties. It is found 

 along the rocky banks of streams and on limestone bluffs. In 

 our area it only exceptionally takes on the arborescent habit usu- 

 ally occurring as a small shrub from six to eight feet in height. 



Flowers in April and May; fruit ripens in August. 



Cass (Hessler); Jay, Delaware. Randolph, and Wayne (Phin- 

 ney); Xoble (Van Gorder); Monroe (Blatchley); St. Joseph 

 (Rothert); Marion and Tippecanoe; Steuben (Bradner). 



P. serotina Ehrh. Wild Black Cherry. Rum Cherry. 



A tree quite largely distributed throughout the State. It 

 reaches its largest size perhaps in rich upland soils in the south- 

 ern counties of the State. Its great value in interior finish and 

 cabinet work is rapidly thinning out the larger specimens, and in 

 some counties where once abundant it is almost extinct. The 

 wilted leaves and twigs of this species if eaten by stock produce 

 serious and even fatal cases of poisoning. The bark is largely 

 used medicinally, and the fruit is in some localities used for the 

 table. 



Flowers in May; fruit ripens in August. 



Tippecanoe (Cunningham); Kosciusko (Coulter); Daviess (Cle- 

 ments); Monroe and Yigo (Blatchley); Jay, Delaware, Randolph, 

 and Wayne (Thinney); Putnam (MacDougal); Jefferson (J. M. 

 Coulter); Gibson and Posey (Schneck); Clark (Baird and Tay- 

 lor); Xoble (Van Gorder); Franklin (Meyncke); Decatur and 

 Shelby (Ballard); Hamilton and Marion (Wilson); Steuben 

 (Bradner). 



MIMOSACE^E. Mimosa Family. 



ACUAN Adans. 



A. Illinoensis (Michx.) Kuntze. 



(Desmanthus brachylobus Benth.) 

 This southern and western form is credited to Indiana in the 

 6th edition of Gray's Manual, page 149, but it is certainly not of 

 general occurrence. Abundant herbarium specimens are in hand 

 from Clark County, the collections of Baird and Taylor, and Dr. 

 Barnes. I have seen specimens from no other region. " In my 

 opinion the form is of rare occurrence in the southern and south- 

 western counties. If found it would probably be on alluvial 

 banks or in prairies. 



